Usher Opens Up About Divorce With New Song "Papers"

Usher's new song "Papers," from his upcoming album titled Monster or Raymond vs. Raymond depending on the source, was posted on the R&B singer's official Website yesterday. Seemingly a near play-by-play account of the singer's short-lived marriage and divorce from Tamika Foster, the track could be the most personal in Usher's career, and that's coming from an artist who had an album called Confessions five years ago.

"I damn near lost my mama, I had been through so much drama that I turned into the man I never thought I'd be. I'm ready to sign those papers," Usher sings with a hint of real-life regret as he encounters the divorce filings in the song. "Papers" was reportedly written by Zaytoven and Sean Garrett, who previously helped co-write Usher's Confessions hit "Yeah." As the producers told MTV in June, the song was actually written before Usher filed for divorce from Foster that same month. "I don't know what Usher is going through, but Sean Garrett made a song about filling out papers, divorce papers. The beat, it's got a bounce to it. It's outta here," Zaytoven said.

Neither the Usher page nor the Jive Music Website have announced any firm details regarding the singer's sixth album, but several hip-hop sites are reporting that the disc will come out at some point in December. The title of the record remains unclear as well. Monster leaked out as a potential album name during the summer, but HHNM writes that Raymond vs. Raymond is fittingly now the frontrunner. "Papers" is the first track to officially be released by Usher after potential new album songs like "Be," "Radar," "Secrets" and the Neptunes-produced "Certified" leaked out.

Related Stories:
Usher Files For Divorce From Tameka Foster-Raymond
Usher Looks Back Five Years After "Confessions"

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Song Stories

“Weird”

Hanson | 1997

Accomplished tunesmith Desmond Child co-wrote "Weird" with the three brothers that make up Hanson. Credited for dozens of cuts, including songs by Kiss, Cher, Bon Jovi and Aerosmith, Child told Rolling Stone that "Weird" holds a special place in his heart, "because it's about being different--and I grew up poor, I grew up being Latin, I grew up being gay, and now I'm fat!" The song was included on Hanson's 1997 album Middle of Nowhere, which sold more than ten million units.

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